Buckingham Palace Paid Tribute to Aretha Franklin During the Changing of the Guard

As Aretha Franklin’s funeral began in Detroit on Friday morning, the Queen of Soul received a touching tribute from across the pond, too, when the Band of the Welsh Guards at Buckingham Palace performed perhaps her best-known song, “Respect,” during the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

“Respect for others underpins all we do in the @BritishArmy so it was no surprise that the @WelshGuardsBand paid tribute to musical icon and inspiration #ArethaFranklin at Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace today,” the @ArmyInLondon account tweeted, along with a video of the performance.

In a press release about the performance — which marked a rare change to the traditional Changing of the Guard ceremony — the British Army described Franklin as a “musical icon … that has been of huge influence and inspiration to our musicians.”

Franklin passed away at her Detroit home on Thursday, August 16, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The news of her death sent grief not just through the music world, but also through the worlds of film and TV, politics, and more, as many paid public tribute to the iconic singer.

Her funeral is scheduled to be an all-day affair, taking place at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit and featuring readings and speeches from family members and celebrity friends such as Bill Clinton, Tyler Perry, and Clive Davis, as well as musical performances from the likes of Faith Hill, Ariana Grande, Chaka Khan, and many more.

Nicole is an entertainment and lifestyle writer covering pop culture, news, and cool women doing cool things. She likes yard sales, MTV's Teen Mom, and putting too many memes in the group chat. She lives in Toronto.